Sunrider: Subversion
by SaisJamais
Summary: The Captain of the Sunrider was never meant to be. Instead, Kayto Shields, Ceran Captain and veteran of the PACT Rebellion. Years before Cera's Fall, the future would forever change. Left for dead, he returns to a past life, and as PACT takes the galaxy by storm, it will not get its hero. Instead, a mercenary, a hitman, and a commander of the faction that brought it to its knees.
1. Chapter 1- A Not So Small Change

**A/N: Aside from the changes in the summary everyone should have read, Kayto is several years older than he is in Sunrider, that said, no other character age is changed, so character interactions between Ava and Kayto are changed as Kayto is now the one with Age Seniority. In addition to said age change, the crew of the** _ **Sunrider**_ **are not in fact teenagers, but for the most part, adults by the time of the Invasion of Cera**

 **Galactic Year 499: Ceran News Network**

"Hello and welcome to the Ceran News Network, I'm your host, Tom Spencer. Today is the long awaited conclusion to the trial of Captain Kayto Shields. On the scene is our correspondent Lisa Crescentia. Lisa, how does the situation look?"

"Tom, to say the least, the situation is incredibly tense. As you can see, there are many people who condemn the Captain, chanting 'Justice for Freeman' or even the military, holding 'Down with the Military Industrial Complex.' As you all know, Councillor Freeman was pressing for a decrease in Military Spending, along with a reduction in the fleets before her passing. Captain Shields is charged with her murder, which does provide one question: Why?. Meanwhile, there are several who are calling for Captain Shields' acquittal, as they claim that Shields wouldn't have considered committing the act, considering his previously exemplary service record. As many of you know, Shields has an impressive record, playing a crucial role in destroying many pirate groups. Before that, he was a member of the group that exposed Chancellor Valorum and the conspiracy to aid the New Empire retake the Neutral Rim in 489. After which, he was offered a chance to serve in the Ceran Guardsman Corps, but refused, instead joining the Compact force, an organization that fought against the New Empire which enslaved our people until The Treaty of Vespa in 400. Up until the recent incident, he had a spotless record, most speculating him a prime choice to become an Admiral."

"Lisa, we've been hearing rumors that Captain Shields' trial seems to be irregular, is there any information you can provide to further clear the situation?"

"Unfortunately, the crew of Captain Shields' warship, the Battlecruiser _CSV Resolute_ have been unable to testify on behalf of the Captain, as he has been known to instill an unwavering loyalty towards him. What is also interesting is Captain Shields claims that it was Admiral Mikhail who had opened fire upon the Councillor's Ship, and the Captain had simply retaliated. Sadly the information cannot be confirmed as the military has already taken the audio recordings onboard the ship, but had found them cleared of all information, and their data recovery specialists have been unable to make progress. It doesn't sound as the captain will be walking away from this one."

"Thank you Lisa, we anticipate the results of the trial. Now to Ron Chartreuse with the weather."

* * *

 **Galactic Year 499: Ceran Military Court**

If one were to ask him a year ago if he would be charged with treason against his own people, Kayto Shields would have arrested said person on the spot. For the four years he had served in the Ceran Navy, his record could be described only as exemplary. During his service his leadership and unconventional tactics and strategies had led the elimination of fifteen pirate groups, several of which had managed to evade the Ceran Navy for years. So to say that the first black mark on his record would include the assassination of a Councillor and the destruction of a Ceran Dreadnought with all hands lost would be thought of as an impossibility. Yet here he was, standing in his uniform, in the highest of courts in the Neutral Rim. He had been arrested not long after his ship had reached port, right in the middle of a conversation with his sister. It had been three days since his arrest when his case was announced, and the trial begun. That was three weeks ago. He had no doubt that the scandal would destroy his career, if he were to not be executed. He was awoken from his thoughts when the verdict arrived.

"Captain Kayto Shields, due to information found on the audio logs aboard the _CSV Resolute_ , you are convicted of two counts of Murder, that of Councillor Freeman and Admiral Freeman, along with ordering the death of the crew aboard Battleship _CVS Sunlight_ and the Diplomatic Cruiser _Challenger_. As such, the councillors of the Planet of Cera have declared you guilty of Treason." Kayto froze, the audio logs aboard his ship was supposed to become his alibi, not what brought his damnation. There had to be something wrong, aside the fact it took three weeks for the evidence to be brought up. Shields had to contest this.

"Your honour, this has to be an error! I would nev-"

"Would you like to hear it?" the Judge said as he gestured to an aide, who began to play the audio log.

* * *

 **Audio Log Start**

" _Captain, the Challenger took a direct hit! It's venting atmosphere. The Sunlight is moving to attack position!"_

" _Tell gunnery to target the Sunlight, prepare to fire the main gun."_

" _Captain, the consequences would be-"_

" _Damn the consequences! The Councillor is already dead, make sure that battleship is destroyed."_

 _There was a pause, followed by a sigh_

" _Yes sir, targeting solution underway."_

" _Captain! Sunlight has fired torpedoes, ETA 30 seconds!"_

" _Fire point defense, adjust course by negative 30 degrees. Fire kinetics once targeting is complete."_

" _Savior Cannons have fired, hits confirmed. Engineering reports that the reactor is under eighty percent load, main cannon is ninety percent charged."_

" _Shutdown our port engines to increase turn rate, once we are aligned with the Sunlight's bow, you have permission to fire."_

" _Main Cannon firing… Confirmed hit! The Sunlight is breaking apart, we must have hit their ammunition stores. Sensors report no escape pods and communications hasn't registered any distress signals."_

 _On the audio Shields sighed, "Status of the Challenger?"_

" _Its reactor went critical when the first volley landed. The ship slagged itself before the hull fragmented. Explosive decompression considering the debris. Still no escape pods or distress signals"_

" _Helmsman, take us back to Cera, there's nothing here for us."_

" _Are you alright sir?"_

" _Helmsman, just focus on getting us back home."_

 _ **Audio Log End**_

* * *

"Is this enough evidence, Captain Shields?"

"Impossible…" Shields said to himself quietly.

"This is your voice, is it not?" Shields did not answer.

"Kayto Shields, you do know the punishment of treason, don't you?"

"Yes"

"You are stripped of your command of the _Resolute_ and shall command the light cruiser _Tajima_ in the offensive against the pirate group Black Hand alongside Admiral Yamamoto. While preparations are being made, you will be under constant surveillance."

The judge's words were met with mixed reactions. While the councillors and admirals remained passive, the crowd was in uproar. While many were decrying the perceived leniency of the sentence, those who were in the navy knew better. The entire crowd was in uproar, so much to the point that they did not notice Shields being escorted out of the building.

While the outrage distracted the onlookers inside the courtroom, the outside was a different matter entirely. As soon as the doors opened, he was met with a roar of shouts of different meanings, but most were negative. It only intensified when Shields walked through them. Immediately, the crowd surged in his direction, held back by the police blocking the way. It was complete chaos, the people shouting phrases such as 'Traitor' or 'Military Pig.' Some had gone to the point of throwing objects at him. Shields pressed on, back straight, chin up as he marched down to the street to the car designated to transport him to the residence attempting to drown out his surrounding, not flinching when objects held by some of the crowd hit him. Even after the car door closed next to him, the shouts could still be heard. To add to his torment, the driver did not turn off the radio, the word of his trial spread throughout all of Cera.

The ride was silent, tension filling the air. When the driver stopped, Shields exited and gazed upon the structure before him. It had been nearly a month since he was here last. The walk into the complex and to his family's door was a difficult one, thoughts of doubt filling his head. After all, there was no telling how his family would react to the results of the trial. _'Maray_ ' That thought filled him with fear the most. How would his sister react to this? He had nearly forgotten that she had idolized Councillor Freeman for her actions towards peace and stability, along with how when Maray was younger, she would always talk about how much she wanted to be like Freeman. Eventually, Shields had to face reality, staring at the entrance. When he had opened the door, he was faced with an old friend. He hadn't seen her for years, not since he left to join the resistance.

"Ava" he said slowly, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing _Kayto_ " her tone was icy, no doubt she saw the Trial's results, "I would have thought someone with the likes of _you_ would think twice before showing your face in public."

'Ouch' he thought to himself, "I should be asking the same thing. This is where I live, but what are you doing here? Speaking of which, where is everyone"

"Your parents are doing their jobs," Ava answered, "As for me, I've been here for the last month to help Maray."

"And where is she?"

"Her room. She's still distraught from earlier, not that you would care, _Traitor_." With that, she moved past Shields, and left.

It took several minutes for him to recover. Once upon a time, the two were almost inseparable, but Kayto speculated that it all changed when he became a resistance fighter. Despite the hostile attitude, she really had grown up. After hearing about her dreams when the two of them were younger, it looked like Ava was accepted to the Sunrider Military Academy. It would take a few years, but he could see her as a capable captain. After reminiscing about the past, he let out a sigh when he remembered that it was all the past. The two of them went their separate ways. But it was not her that he feared. He looked down the hall, all of the doors slightly open, all except for one. The occupant of the room was why Shields dedicated himself to the military, joined the resistance, and killed so many in the fight against the New Empire. He had walked to her door and knocked. No response.

"Maray?" No Response

"Maray?" Still no answer "It's me, Kayto."

"Why did you do it?" the voice was faint on the other side of the door, but Kayto could hear every word.

"Maray…" Kayto paused. What was he supposed to say? That the Military Court, the highest court in Cera, presided by two admirals in addition to three councilors, was incorrect in its ruling, despite the fact that it never had before? Fortunately, or unfortunately, he was unable to answer as the door swung open, revealing his sister. Her blue eyes were bloodshot from crying, her white hair disheveled, from the dark bags under her eyes, it was obvious that she did not, or could not sleep.

"When they announced your arrest, I didn't believe it." She began, "I thought it was all a big mistake, that you were innocent. But when they played the audio… " she began to cry, "Why did you do it? Councillor Freeman only wanted peace, just like you. Do you remember what you said when you left that day? You said you wanted to fight the New Empire because you wanted a peaceful life for all of us. What happened to that? You didn't stay home long after you came back, you went and joined the Navy after six years. Six Years! Did the war change you that much? That you couldn't come home after being gone for so long?"

"Maray. Listen to me, I…"

"No Kayto, you listen!" she shouted "It's almost like you aren't the same person. I miss my brother, the kind and loving one that always made everyone happy. What happened to him? Now, you're more cold, detached, I don't know you anymore. We don't even talk much. Why did you leave for the military? Was it because you liked fighting so much?"

"Of course not" Shields shouted, "I did it to make the galaxy a safer place. For mom and dad, for Ava, for you! I wanted for you to be happy, and you know there was no future for us under Imperial rule."

"Don't you dare say that _Kayto_! Anyone else could have done what you did, but you had to be the hero, didn't you? You could've stopped and came home like dad did once Cera was free! You say you wanted me to be happy, but that's just your excuse. All I wanted was to my have my brother with me, but did you ask me? No, you just kept fighting after we had won."

"Maray… "

"Just, go away, Kayto." she turned away from him, "Please." The door shut.

Shields stood in front of the door, staring at it. Nothing could have been worse for Kayto. Seeing everything fall apart around him, powerless to do anything about it, was one thing, but when it was the family and friends that he had risked his life for, was too much. He slowly walked to his room, and laid on his bed, and did something that he had not done for years. Kayto Shields cried, for a sibling that wanted nothing to do with him, for a friend that despised him, and a future that could have been, but wasn't.

* * *

 **Two Weeks Later- Light Cruiser Tajima**

At its creation, the Tajima was the most advanced warship of its kind. Now, it was an obsolete husk designated for the scrapyards, if not for Shields, who was alone on the bridge. Luckily for him, the Eclipse class light cruiser was designed to operate with a minimal amount of crew. On the other hand, its weapons systems were removed, replaced with what looked like a mass driver mounted along the spine of the ship with a rudimentary targeting system, which Shields had discovered that had barely enough computation to link with the Tactical Display he had managed to acquire from the spaceport requisitions officer.

'Damn it, I'll have to fire manually, if it even works.' he thought to himself. It was until the orders came from the admiral did he stop contemplating the possibility of having to ram a ship in order to fire an accurate shot.

"This is Admiral Yamamoto. Our general strategy is simple. The Tajima will warp in and draw the enemy fire before sending the signal for the fleet to warp in to destroy the base. Remember, our objective is to destroy the pirate base. If we succeed, they will have no resupply point for months, allowing for us to secure and destroy the remaining pirates in the quadrant. Captain Shields, status?"

"This is Shields reading loud and clear, Admiral. At least, as clear as this rust bucket shall allow."

"Remember, draw the enemy away long enough for us to establish stable warp coordinates, then proceed to destroy the base. Command has demanded that you ram your ship into the base and overload your reactor, but I shall only present it as an option. If you fail to destroy the base within an hour of the fleet entering combat, we shall continue with the original rules of engagement, which may include a spontaneous decommissioning of your vessel."

"Understood admiral. _CSV Tajima_ engaging warp _."_

* * *

 **One Day Previous**

Kayto had gone about his day as usual. The house was empty, his parents at their jobs, and Maray at school. Ever since his return, his family had ignored him for the majority of the time. However, today was unlike the rest. In Twenty-four hours, he would assist in an attack that everyone in the Navy knew was suicide for him. The time he was given by the court was a gift in light of his service, a final time period to say goodbye to any relatives or next of kin. Knowing what awaited him, he had made his preparations. On the table in front of him was the Laser Rifle, the weapon that he used to fight the New Empire across the galaxy. It was in its collapsed position, resting along with his service pistol. Before he left, he had performed one more act. He walked into his sister's room, and placed an envelope on her desk along with his rifle and a picture frame. On it, the words, "Happy 18th Birthday Maray. No Peeking." With that, he turned and left the house one final time.

* * *

 **Black Hand Base**

The _Tajima_ had exited warp. What it met could be swept aside by a standard patrol fleet, but the _Tajima_ was anything but. Immediately, he had brought the bow of the ship to face the sole ship of the group, a destroyer. Thanks to the close range of the shot, only a hundred kilometers, the steel round punched through its thin armor, striking the reactor, it exploding in a spectacular fashion. It appeared that the attack had taken the pirate group off guard and no doubt they were mobilizing to retaliate. For now, Shields held the advantage. However, with only a scrapped cruiser that didn't have proper weapons systems,, he had three options in his current situation. The first would be to run, which would save his life, but his warp drive needed to spin up, making him vulnerable to the oncoming pirates. The second would be to fight, which would result in his death as the _Tajima_ not only had a makeshift weapon, but was outnumbered fourty to one until the fleet arrived, where he would be destroyed along with the pirates. The final, was the most insane plan of them all. The _Tajima_ was designed to have its bridge in the center of the ship's hull, allowing it to survive longer. Using that advantage, he would rush straight for the pirate base, using the spinal cannon to destroy the main structure, allowing him to take out the base while the fleet dealt with the enemy in space. Of course, it meant running the gauntlet along with ramming an asteroid, but if he did so correctly, the goals would be achieved:the base would be destroyed, and he wouldn't die. Deciding on the best course of action, he pointed the bow of the ship towards the pirate base, a massive complex built into the surface of an asteroid, and engaged the engines.

That action took the pirates by surprise. Ceran military doctrine was very conservative, and no captain in their right mind would order their ship to head directly towards them full speed, and the ship showed no signs of slowing down. Immediately, every available ship was maneuvering to intercept, but the ship did not slow down. Lasers melted entire sections of the hull, kinetics punched the light cruiser's thin armour, exiting the other end, but the ship continued course. When the ship was only a thousand kilometers from the base, the worst happened.

The Ceran Fleet Warped into the system.

* * *

 **Ceran Fleet- Battleship** _ **Artemis**_

Few things were as spectacular as a ship exiting warp travel. The distortion of space before the bright flash of light as the ship exited subspace was a testament to the advances of human technology. The ships of the Ceran Navy were no different. As per protocol, the lead ship exited warp. Standing at a kilometer in length, the Battleship was a powerful piece of the fleet, armed with the latest kinetics and energy weapons that were available, with a long range energy shield to support nearby ships. Once the ship exited warp travel, the bridge was alight with activity, officers were reporting the status of the ship's individual sections to each other. Meanwhile, Admiral Yamamoto stood behind the helmsman, observing the crew at work. Once the sensors came online, the displays around him were filled with ship positions, enemy placements, and a updates from the different sections. All around the Battleship, other ships began to enter the system, repeating the same process. Soon, the twelve ships of the fleet warped into the system, armed for battle.

"Admiral, all ships accounted" an officer reported.

"Admiral, the _Radiant_ reports the Tajima engaged with the enemy force and is requesting permission to assist." said another

"Tell the _Radiant_ to hold position, we are to engage at the designated time." he ordered, voice unwavering.

"Sir?" the officer asked, confused "Aren't we going to help Captain Shields?"

"Are you questioning my orders, Lieutenant?" he asked, gazing at said crew member, she avoided his gaze

"No, sir." she replied, looking down, "Ordering _Radiant_ to return to formation."

"Good, have all ships maintain maximum engagement range and prepare the Trinity Lasers. Shields has three minutes left, let's see what he can do with them."

"Yes sir, weapons charging. Gunnery is beginning to target hostiles"

"Admiral, the _Tajima_ is moving to ram the pirate base"

"What could be thinking? Perhaps… No, that would be too stupid, even for him"

* * *

 **Light Cruiser Tajima**

"This is the stupidest thing I've ever done!"

Kayto cursed his luck, a torpedo had penetrated the hull, blowing a large portion of the starboard side of the ship. He was still a hundred kilometers from his target, and his ship wasn't holding as well as he had expected. He couldn't even fire the main gun, as not only was the reactor's power dedicated solely to the engines, but the main gun was useless as a particularly accurate laser volley had slagged it.

" _Warning: Critical Damage in Decks Two through Seven, Reactor Critical, All Hands, Abandon Ship"_

He hated that sound, the ship's automatic systems alerting him of the obvious, most of the ship was destroyed, the hull was perforated more so than the plot line of a movie he had heard Maray talking about, which contained vampires if he remembered correctly. There were other things that reminded him of the ship's status, such as his apparel, which was now a Marine Boarding Armour unit that he had managed to get, as the ship had completely lost atmosphere ten minutes ago, and a kinetic round had penetrated the rear half of the bridge, leaving a gaping hole not too far behind Shields. In short, the _Tajima_ was a lost cause. From one of the readouts, it estimated that he had less than five minutes before the ship's fusion reactor would go critical, detonating whatever fuel was left on the ship in addition to the ammunition in the stores. If that wasn't adding enough pressure, the Ceran Fleet had warped in the system minutes earlier, so there was also the impending death caused by friendly fire. Still, there were twelve kilometers between him and his target. Crossing that would take thirty seconds. Thirty seconds that he didn't have. Now within range of the Base's defenses, flak rounds filled the space between the two craft. Shards of metal punctured the already crippled ship, adjusting their aim as the firing continued. Missiles exited from their tubes, streaking towards him, and he was close enough to see the massive cannons built on the base aim in his direction. With flashes of light, 800mm Kinetic Rounds streaked through the void and slammed into the ship, now only held together by structural supports as it violently shook, sections of the hull snapping off, careening away.

When the _Tajima_ crossed the threshold of two kilometers, he grabbed the weapons aboard the ship and ran towards the hole that should have killed him. With no other way to go, he went ahead and lept from the ship and engaged the suit's thrusters to reduce his velocity. As he turned, he saw the ship smash into the asteroid's surface and erupt in a fireball as the several hundred tonnes of fuel mixed with a now uncontained fusion reaction. To add to the fire were the multitude of explosives within the ammunition stores, adding several kilotons to the blast. Said blast had enough force to break apart the asteroid, rendering the base inoperable, as thanks to the forces of explosive decompression and about several trillion joules of kinetic energy. (Estimation that the Tajima is about 47k metric tonnes, and moving at 400 m/s) For Shields, it was mission accomplished, except for two factors. One, was the remainder of the pirate fleet, who might get away and take him prisoner. The second, was that he was trapped in the void of space with nothing except for an outdated laser rifle, service pistol, and armor that was rated for twenty four hours of continuous use in space, longer if he was fortunate enough to find any oxygen tanks in the debris. All he could do was search for something to keep alive, and watch the battle unfold before him. All he could do was wait.

 **Warning: Suit Rupture Detected.**

"Shit."

* * *

 **Ceran Battleship-** _ **Artemis**_

"Admiral, Pirate Base has been destroyed."

"Repeat that again." Yamamoto responded with shock

"Sir, the CSV _Tajima_ had rammed the enemy base, both are completely destroyed sir."

"Any escape pods?"

"No sir, nothing but debris. It looks like the _Tajima_ had managed to punch through the surface before detonating. Nothing left sir."

"I see. Mark the _Tajima_ as destroyed and Captain Shields as KIA." Yamamoto paused, "Bring up communications to all ships, we have a change of plans."

"Yes sir."

"This is Admiral Yamamoto. Captain Shields of the CSV _Tajima_ has been Killed in Action. Shields gave his life to end this pirate group so that this region of space would be secure. Do not let his sacrifice be in vain. All ships are weapons free, I want no prisoners. Yamamoto out."

The resulting battle was a slaughter. The name of Kayto Shields was known throughout the Ceran Military. For the few hardened veterans that fought either against the conspiracy to defend Cera from the New Empire, or with him in Compact, he was a legend of the battlefield, a man who could inspire men twice his age to fight insurmountable odds, leading the charge whether it be on the ground, in the void, or on the negotiation tables. For those who didn't fight in the rebellion, he was a respected leader, one who was fair and just, fighting for justice and making sure he did just as much work as everyone else on whatever ship he was placed on, no matter the difference of rank. When word of his death passed through the fleet, every Ceran felt one emotion, Revenge.

Of the forty destroyers and hundreds of Ryders the Black Hand could field, all were torn apart. The frigates would cut off any route of escape and destroy anything that wasn't fighting. Cruisers would hunt down the destroyers and corral them into choke points in the debris of the asteroid. The single battleship on the other hand charged through the enemy positions, using its flak cannons and pulse lasers to obliterate anything in its path. After the carnage, the fleet left as soon as it had arrived, not waiting to do one final scan of the area. For if they had, the struggle of one man could have been averted.

* * *

 **Later**

Kayto Shields was getting desperate. He had spent the last twelve hours scouring the wreckage for anything that he could use to survive, to no avail. He was getting tired, but he knew that sleep was suicide. It was getting ridiculous, as it became his plan became too effective. There was nothing to use. The escape pods were destroyed, none of the wrecked ships had their life-support systems intact, and with the departure of the Ceran Fleet, there was no way home. To make matters worse, the blast from the _Tajima_ had caused a small rupture in his suit, so slowly but surely, he was losing air.

 _ **Caution: Oxygen at Twenty Percent. Battery at Ten Percent**_

' _Already… That happened too quick.'_ he thought to himself. It was getting bad, in a last ditch attempt, he engaged emergency power mode. Doing so would give him several hours of battery life, and the lack of moving would buy him several minutes of extra air.

 **Warning: Oxygen Levels Five Percent**

Shields realized that the small rupture before had been worse than he thought. Already, he began to feel lightheaded, darkness creeping in at the edges of his vision. He tried to fight it, but he was growing weaker. As his body began to convulse from the lack of oxygen, everything became darker. For the first time in a while, he felt fear.

Fear of losing his life, of leaving family behind.

 _ **Warning: Oxygen Levels Critical**_

Of not being able to amend the divide between him and his sister.

 **Warning: Oxygen Levels Critical**

He couldn't die like this. Not now.

 _ **Warning: Oxygen Depleted**_

Kayto froze. He had several breaths left in his helmet at the very least. His luck had run out. It was over.a Shields struggled due to the lack of oxygen. He grasped at his helmet, trying to claw for a breath that would never come. Slowly, his movements began to slow, the struggle more desperate.

In the last seconds of consciousness, a bright light had appeared in the center of his vision. It was distant, but growing closer, growing brighter.

But at that moment, everything went black.

* * *

 **Cera- Ceran Academy of the Arts: High School Branch**

Maray Shields was irritated. During the two weeks, she had began to think about what she had said to Kayto. The more she did, the guiltier she felt. It didn't make sense. His actions, why he did things after the war, none of it, and it irritated her. What more so was the fact that the more she thought about it, the more she began to question whether or not Kayto had killed Freeman. Both had the goal of peace, although the two went about it in completely different ways, and Kayto had no issue with the cuts to military spending when she had brought it up a year ago. None of it made any sense. After most of the day in thought, she decided as soon as she got home, she would talk to him. When that thought graced her mind, she felt guilty once again. For the past two weeks, she purposely ignored him, and she was almost certain she heard crying on the other side of her wall, in the room her brother was.

Shaking her head, she snapped herself out of her thoughts and went back to her school work.

When school had ended, she had told her friend that she would be heading directly home that day and to let the club president that she would be absent that day. She had rushed home as quickly as she could, maneuvering through crowds of people. When she got home, she threw open the door and made her way to her brother's room.

"Kayto" she shouted as she slammed open his door, only to find the room empty.

Once she recovered from the initial shock of her brother not being present, Maray searched the house. Every room, cabinet and crevice was searched, to no avail. Remembering the recent actions of her brother, she figured he was in the city and would return. So she sat down near the door and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Soon, the sky was dark and she slowly but surely drifted into a tense slumber. 'As soon as he gets home, I'm going to apologize for how I treated him recently. And then, try to get my brother back.'

The next day was much of the same. Kayto had not returned home by the time Maray had awoken. She had awoken and had to go to school. The entire day, she was distracted, thinking why her brother was gone for so long. Today was also the day their parents would return from their business trip. It was until after school that her world began to turn upside-down.

"Man, did you hear about the operation going on today" one of her classmates asked another as they passed by Maray

'Military club. It would be great if they weren't talking about matters of national security in such a nonchalant manner' she thought to herself in what she realized was a very Kayto-like manner

"Yeah, my dad was talking about it," he replied "his group spent all last week getting an old cruiser ready for its use. I heard that one traitor was forced to use it"

"Damn, sounds like a suicide mission. Wouldn't like to be him"

Maray stopped where she was, and sprinted home. She didn't stop until she reached home and ran inside, running into her parents.

"Maray!" her mother exclaimed, "What's wrong? Are you alright? You look worried."

"It's Kayto," she blurted, her speech quick, "Do you know where he is?"

None could answer as a knock was heard on the other side of the door. Slowly, Mrs. Shields reached the knob and turned it. On the other side of the door were two officers in uniform, each wearing a black uniform, carrying a small folder and several parcels.

"Hello Mrs. Shields, we're with the Ceran Navy. We have news regarding your son." Maray's mother was confused, but she felt a sense of dread fill her stomach. Upon hearing the voices, her father moved to the door and stiffened up. Maray on the other hand was utterly terrified. She heard the stories from Kayto about the ritual of notifying families of a soldier's death. It was not a pretty one, but from his descriptions, it fit the description word for word.

"Ma'am," the other officer began speaking stiffening up. "I have been asked to inform you that your son has been reported dead.."

No, it couldn't be.

"... Aboard the CSV _Tajima_ in combat against the Pirate group Black Hand at 0837 on April 18th, 498… "

It was impossible, Kayto couldn't have died, there was no way. After all he had been through…

"... On behalf of the Councilors and Admirals of Cera… "

She was supposed to say sorry, Kayto would forgive her, and they would be siblings again…

"I extend to you and your family my deepest sympathy in your great loss."

But that would never happen.

"We are also here to inform you that in light of service, Kayto Shields is cleared of all charges, and is Posthumously Awarded the Medal of Honour." The officer handed her several boxes. One containing a folded flag of Cera, the other containing the medal.

She had thrown that chance away two weeks ago.

"Thank you," her mother said calmly, beginning to close the door, only to be stopped by one of the officers. "I believe it is time for you to go now."

"Ma'am," he began handing her a card, "I understand the pain you're going through. If there's anything you need, please give us a call." With that, they left.

Maray's father went to her mother and began holding her.

Her mother was still in shock.

Maray herself was devastated. Even when he was deployed to some far off region, or even when he was halfway across the galaxy, fighting an empire, she was always assured that he would come back, but not anymore. She would never have that chance to say goodbye. In her grief, she ran to her room, and immediately, she saw something she never had before. An envelope. An actual paper envelope. She slowly walked towards it, each step like an eternity. Next to it rested a picture frame of Kayto and Maray right before he left to fight the New Empire. She was almost ten, and had life in her eyes, happy to see her brother after he was gone for several months. She didn't know what her brother was doing then, nor would she find out until she was in middle school. Kayto was the complete opposite from her optimistic and cheerful expression He stood behind her, red tinted goggles resting above his eyes, his rifle in one hand over his shoulder, and the other holding a duffel bag by his syde.. His face was calm, with a smile at his sister's happiness. That was the day he left. On the table was another object that surprised her. There laid Kayto's rifle. She had remembered learning about it when she asked him questions before he left to join the rebellion against the New Empire, that was called Compact. It was an experimental variant of the signature laser rifles used by the soldiers that oppressed the residents of Cera a hundred years ago, focused on reliability and sheer power. Kayto never parted with it, even when he joined the Navy. To see an item that had been with him since the beginning set aside as if the owner knew he would not need it again left her disheartened. She nearly began to cry, until she saw the words written on the photograph.

 _Maray, if you have this, I've probably bit the dust. I know you won't understand why I did it, but you will in time. Don't be sad, you've got your entire life ahead of you. You'll become an amazing woman, I just know it. I couldn't have asked for a better sister in all the universe, I'm just sorry you were stuck with me as a brother. Take care, find love, live a happy life. And remember, whether you like it or not, I'll always be with you._

 _-Kayto_

 _P.S. I mean it Maray, Don't open the letter early._

Maray held the photograph, read the words over and over. Those word were her brother's final words to her. All this time, even when he knew he was going to die, he still focused on her happiness. The feelings of loss began to catch up to her. Maray looked down at the photo, and wept.

She would not stop until sleep overcame her.

 **A/N:** So there you have it. If you found anything different, please comment so we can discuss it. If you have any ideas, let me know via PM. Also, if you would like to beta-read, contact me via PM.


	2. Chapter 2- Changing Course

They say that the universe was created, there was nothing but darkness. A deep expansive void that consumed everything that entered it, never letting go. There are also many that believe that after a person dies, their spirit goes on to another place. To be reborn. To be judged. To disappear.

Kayto Shields on the other hand, did not see any of this divine judgement. All he saw was the very same expanse of darkness the universe was born of. That was, when he saw a light. Not a large or particularly bright one mind you, but something small and just light enough to appear as a faintest hint. But as time passed, that light began to grow, and grow. And grow.

'Am I dead?' he thought to himself, 'didn't think this is what the afterlife looked like. Then again, considering everything I've done, there should be at least a couple fires somewhere.'

He began to view the approaching light, awaiting his fate and basking in its silence. Until...

 _ **Beep...**_

'Damn it…'

 _ **Beep.**_..

'I'm not dead yet'

 _ **Beep…**_

'Wonder how I got out of this one'

 _ **Beep…**_

'When will this beeping stop? It's starting to get on my nerves.'

Fortunately, the man was answered when a familiar voice began to speak.

 _ **Operator Consciousness regained. Visual Overlay Initiating. Optical Sensor Suite Online. Starting systems diagnostics…**_

It was the standard voice used by the Ceran MIlitary in its military hardware, the monotone voice beginning to state the status of his suit. Fortunately for him, the armor he wore was still functional. As he began to reorient himself with his surroundings, he took notes on his condition. Unlike most of the armor used in the Ceran Navy, Kayto was lucky to acquire a set of the Marine Combat Armor, which was used by the Ceran Marines in boarding operations against ships. Sporting heavier plating and an array of servos, it was made for heavy firefights aboard the corridors and on the exterior of starships. His helmet was removed from head, but fortunately, he still had the visor responsible for displaying information. It was at that moment when he had noticed his surroundings.

'Bulkheads.' He thought to himself, gazing at the metal walls of the dimly lit room, 'wait…'

Kayto sprung to his feet, frantically looking around, mind racing. It was a likelihood that the survivors of the pirate group had taken him, or maybe roaming slavers. But he had second thoughts. For one, he still had his armor, and his service pistol attached to the magnetic holster on his thigh. There was also the fact that he wasn't being beaten or interrogated. Slowly, he began to relax, still alert. He was in what looked like a med bay, if one could call it that. There was basic medical equipment in a first-aid kit strewn about a table in a mostly featureless room. Adjacent to it were items that he recognized: The angular helmet that was paired with the armor he wore, and the external oxygen tanks that were designed to allow prolonged use in a vacuum. One of them, he noticed, had a massive hole in the side, probably the 'minor decompression' his suit had registered. Donning his helmet, he felt the reassurance of the armor creating an airtight seal. At the very least, he would have fifteen minutes of operation in space. Something that while not significant, bought some level of comfort if he were to be thrown back into the void.

" **Diagnostic Complete. Operating at nominal levels. Warning: External Oxygen Tanks not attached. Warning: IFF offline. Activating Sensor Overlay"**

Immediately, Kayto's vision was filled with displays showing the status of his armor, the external camera systems acting as his eyes. The darkness of the room faded as everything became bright and pronounced. The room he was in was in disarray, as if it was hurriedly put together. Before he could ponder his situation further, he heard the sound of the door opening behind him. On reflex, he drew his weapon, turned, and leveled his sights on…

A teenage girl.

Kayto froze. This was not the situation he was used to. Pirates, nobles, soldiers, he would have killed without recognizing what had happened. He killed enough of them when he fought the New Empire. At that moment, most people would lower their gun, but Shields didn't. Although it was unlikely, the girl could be used as a weapon, or some means of a surprise attack. The New Empire used that tactic, using children of the rebel fighters to lull them into a sense of safety before catching them in an ambush, but then again, so did the Compact during the sacking of New Eden. He knew the tactic, he knew it all too well.

"Where am I?" Shields asked, but received no answer. The girl looked to be in her late teens, probably a young adult, if a little short. Her hair was a pale blue, and on her head was a bow. She wore a jumpsuit similar to those worn by mechanics in ports. The expression on her face was one of fear.

The girl didn't answer

'This is getting nowhere' he thought to himself. "I asked you a question.."

Immediately, the door opened once again, this time to another person. "Hey, Chigara. How's our-" the newcomer paused, staring at the scene before him, he immediately flinched, reaching for something on his side. Kayto was faster, acting on reflexes honed from years of fighting. He lunged forward, pinning the other man to the wall, gun against his neck.

"Information. Now." he ordered bringing his weapon closer to the crewman's neck, the pistol emitting a high pitched whine, signaling its preparation to fire. "Location, leadership. I'd recommend you start talking."

"Salvage ship…" the crewman croaked out, his face beading with sweat. "Saw you spaced. Our engineer here..." he slowly pointed to to the girl "She said to rescue you."

Shields lowered his weapon and let the man drop to the floor. Still keeping his weapon aimed, he waited for the man to recover his breath. When the man got up Kayto flinched, expecting a hostile reaction. Instead, he rubbed his throat and started to chuckle.

"Damn," he said, "You've got one heck of a grip."

Kayto froze and stared at the man, his helmet hiding his incredulous look. "Normally, people would react with being threatened with death by attacking back."

"Hey, you were stuck in space for who knows how long doing who know what and all you ask for is information." The man countered, "Back on Ongess, that's as friendly a greeting as you would get. Most people would just shoot."

Kayto was still not at ease. Ongess was covered in filthy slums wherever there wasn't a refinery or an extractor, not particularly a place known for its generosity. He holstered his pistol.

"Look, I know you've got some questions. Captain should be able to answer them. I was just told to bring you there when you woke up. The bridge is up one floor on the aft end."

Kayro made his way in silence. Whenever he would pass another of the crew, they quickly moved out of his way.

 **Bridge**

The captain of the ship looked nothing out of the ordinary. Just a grizzled man in his late forties. He looked cleaner than most of those around him, but not by much. When Kayto entered the bridge, he was met with an extended hand. He shook it.

"Welcome aboard SV-2297, or as my men like to call her, The Bertha." with that, he began looking over a datapad that one of the crewmen handed to him.

"Thanks for the rescue captain."

Shields was met with a noncommittal grunt.

"Why did you do it? One of your men said you guys were from Ongess, so I know you didn't do it for free, even at the request of your crew so tell me, what's the catch."

That caught the captain's attention. "Our engineer begged us to rescue you, and after we pulled your sorry rear aboard, she said you appeared to have some experience in combat. Based on what you did to one of my men, and don't think I don't have eyes everywhere on _my_ ship, I'd have to be blind to not notice it. Now let me ask you a question. Who are you? Pirate? Mercenary?"

"Soldier." Kayto responded, "Ceran Navy."

"Alright, Mister Navy, here's my proposition. You see, this here is my ship." the man said as he gestured to everything around him. "And I'm a generous captain. We happen to be in rather dangerous space right now, lots of pirates rushing to claim territory now that the Black Hand was destroyed, and we happen to be a salvage ship. So in return for us saving your life, you become a part of my crew for a bit as security. I'll even pay you if you do a good job."

"And if I say no to that deal?"

"Who said you had the option to refuse?"

"Who said I was refusing?"

That left the captain confused. "Explain yourself."

"All I need is some time to think it through," Kayto answered, "I might have a counterproposal that might benefit both of us."

The captain scoffed. "Boy, didn't your mother teach you not to bite the hand that feeds you?"

"Yes, but she also told me never to make decisions that I don't know the consequences of."

There was an awkward pause as the two stared at each other to the best of their ability, as one of them wore a helmet. The captain finally nodded and turned away again.

"Alright, you win. Our ship will be scavenging for about another hour, you have until then to make your decision. I'll have one of my people look after you."

Not too long after, the door opened, showing the crewmember. Not wanting to be on the bridge, he followed them out the door.

When the door closed, Kayto let out a breath of relief. When he began to walk down the hall towards the roome he had woken up in, the sound of light footsteps reminded him that he was not alone. From the corner of his eye, or rather his sensors, the crewmember was none other than the girl from earlier.

'That's right' he thought 'the girl…' When he turned to face her, she recoiled in fear. The angled helmet along with the glowing strip that covered where his eyes were designed to terrify pirates or slavers on the ships Ceran Marines were expected to board. For a girl that looked not a day over eighteen, it succeeded. He took off his helmet, exposing his head to the ship's atmosphere. The upper half of his face was covered with a tinted visor, holographic projections displayed on it showing him updates on his suit, one of which alerting him that his helmet was removed.

"Sorry about earlier," Kayto apologized, he removed his visor, looking at the person next to him. "Why don't we start again, this time, I know where I am."

He was met with no response.

"Nice to meet you" He held his hand out "My name is Kayto Shields, but most people call me Kayto. I promise that I don't mean any harm."

'Thank Ryuvia for the public outreach programs that Command had me do.' he thought to himself, 'And here I thought they were useless tasks to make me soft.'

The girl reached out hesitantly, carefully shaking his hand as if he would lash out. "I-I'm Chigara Lynn Ashada," she said timidly, "I help around the ship, particularly in engineering."

"Engineering?" he asked

"Yes," the girl responded, without the initial hesitation, "I'm really good with tech, so the crew asks for my help. It's a bit hard because this freighter is so old and rundown, but we manage."

"You must be downplaying your skills," Kayto commented, gesturing to the walls "To keep this rust bucket from venting atmosphere must be a nightmare. I'm not even sure how you managed to keep the reactor working."

"The technicians do most of the work, I just help when they need an extra hand." That brought more awkward silence. Neither knew the next statement to say.

"So, Miss Ashada..."

"Please, call me Chigara. Everyone else does, to hear you call me that feels weird."

"Alright then, Chigara. What brings a bright girl such as yourself to a salvage ship? I can list at least twenty organizations that would be happy to hire you."

"T-thank you." Chigara blushed at the compliment, "But I don't think I could. A couple years ago, my home was destroyed in an accident. I barely escaped." her mood became downtrodden.

"Diode" Kayto said quietly, "I heard about that incident. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Chigara looked down "I was stranded in space for a few days before the crew found me drifting. They said I could repay my debt to them by working on the ship, and I've been here ever since."

"And is there any you would have your debt paid?"

"I don't know. I've been here for almost a year."

That statement angered Kayto. Here was a girl in the prime of her life, barely an adult. He had seen hundreds who were trapped in "binding agreements" throughout the New Empire, slaves in every way but name. It disgusted him how people could take advantage of others like that. 'But then again…' he thought 'after all I did, do I still have the right to claim the high ground?' He shook himself from his thoughts.

"And if you were free, what would you do?"

That question caught Chigara by surprise. She had focused on getting by that she had almost forgotten. "I don't know anymore. It's not like I anywhere to go after. But I would like to live a simple life. I might even open a sweets shop. I remember there was one near where I lived that my parents would always buy things from when I was little."

Kayto smiled as she shared that part of her. It would not last the intercom made its announcement, calling him to the Bridge.

"Looks like I need to go." Kayto stood up and made his way to the door. "Thanks for the chat Chigara."

 **Bridge**

Kayto followed the bright neon signs that the crew decided to make as a directory. When he made his way to to the bridge, it was relatively empty.

"Well kid, we're done in this area." The captain said, leaning in his chair "What's your decision?"

"That depends," Kayto began, "Where are you headed after this?"

"Tydaria," came the answer "The Mining Union pays well for salvage, and we made quite the haul. So did you happen to come up with anything?"

"Well, I have a counter proposal." Kayto said, crossing his arms "I'll protect your ship for pay. And, you'll drop me off on Ryuvia Prime."

"And why would I go there? That's another two days of travel."

"Simple," Kayto answered "There's a nearby planet not too far off of that path. Rumor has it that they are willing to trade salvage for precious metals."

"What type of precious metals?"

"Mostly gold and silver. I've heard that they might have some functioning ships to trade with, Since it's so far off of the normal trade routes, they buy anything they can to maintain what they have."

"How high are we talking here?" the captain asked, now intrigued by the prospect of fortune.

"Clean water on Ongess" Kayto plainly declared, referencing to the scarcity of said resource. "The planet was supposed to be an old Imperial mining world a couple centuries back."

"Interesting," the man calmly said before pausing. "You've got yourself a deal."

"One more thing." Kayto interrupted, "I take Chigara with me."

That had the captain frown. "And why in the blazes would I do that? She's our best engineer."

"Because she's worked enough to pay off her debt. I won't be taking what you no longer have control over."

"No way in hell."

"Then one last barter." Shields offered, "Once we're in Ryuvian Port, I trade my armor for her."

"And why would I want that? We don't have a need for it."

"Do you know how much Ceran Tech goes for in the Neutral Rim?" Kayto countered. Ceran technology was the best one could get in the neutral rim, and in some cases, the galaxy. In some markets, the marine assault armor Kayto wore could sell for thousands.

The captain shook his head, "No deal, she's too important to the crew. The needs of the many outweighs the needs of the few. You Cerans understand the importance of that saying, right?"

Their dialogue was interrupted when the bridge shuddered, alarms blaring..

"Captain!" one of the crewmen shouted, "It's Pirates!"

"Who are they from?" the captain asked

"Don't know sir, it's just one destroyer!" the crewman responded "They're hailing us!"

The hologram displayed on the bridge. The man wore a large cloak over ragged clothes. His face was rugged, sporting a beard. Adorning his face, to Kayto's amusement, was an eyepatch.

"Arrgh!" the pirate captain shouted, Kayto was struggling to not laugh in front of the man. It was if the most cliche of pirates was made out the lack of imagination. "Y'er be passin' in the terr'itry o' Capt'n Watcher! Surrender yer cargo immediately an' prepare for boarding!" the hologram faded.

"Captain, what do we do?" the crewman asked frantically. The captain turned to Kayto

"Differences aside, we held up to our part of the bargain, time for you to uphold yours."

"Why, captain." Kayto said, turning his head as if he were looking for something on the bridge. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The other man sputtered in anger, "You said that you would defend the ship, so defend the ship!"

"Captain, I had several terms to that agreement, and you have accepted all but one." he countered, trailing off as he added another statement, "I have my payment, my transport, and still, we have yet to decide the fate of a young woman who has already paid her debts."

"Do I need to spell it out for you? She. Is out. Of. The. Question."

The freighter suddenly shook, as a crewman shouted to the two, "Captain! They fired several rounds, one impacted the starboard cargo bay. No casualties."

Shields looked once again to the captain, a grin on his face "Well captain, you're running out of time. For one person, I can save you and your crew. I would call that quite the bargain." he paused for a second, "Didn't you say something about the needs of the many outweighing that of a few? Sounds like a good time to practice what you preach."

The captain grumbled for a few seconds. "Fine." he spat, "You get your deal."

"It was an honour, captain." Kayto said with a mock bow. The Captain scoffed.

"Now tell me, why is her freedom so important to you?"

"Both of us know what it's like to have their youth taken from them. I just want to give her what little she has left."

"You are a strange one, you know that?"

Kayto scoffed, "I've been called worse."

At that moment, the pirate captain's hologram displayed in front of the two.

"Yeargh!" he shouted, "We be boardin' now. Open yer airlock and surrender yer cargo."

"Captain." Kayto called out to the captain, "Let the pirates dock."

"What?! Are you crazy?" the captain shouted back, "They'll board us!"

"Exactly," Shields said as he donned his helmet, "we'll defeat the pirates by boarding them."

"You idiot, they'll be boarding us."

"That's what they'll be thinking."

"And you'll be surrounded."

"That way, they can't escape."

The captain looked at Shields as if he had grown a third arm. "How stupid do you think I am?."

"Captain, you did hire me to defend your ship."

The captain paused. "I'm going to regret this." he pointed at one of the other crew "Direct the pirates to the bridge airlock."

"Yes sir."

"Captain?" Shields asked, "Do you happen to have demolition charges?

 **Later**

The airlock cycled open as a group of five pirates walked onto the ship. Unfortunately, as they walked past the airlock they were met with an image that other pirates had warned them of: The Ceran Marine. Those soldiers were ones that were trained to leap from Ryders or starships and board pirate vessels. To see one before them was an intimidating sight, and immediately, each of them drew their weapons.

Shields was faster. Thanks to the years of experience against the New Empire, he simply had to let his reflexes take over. It had also helped that untrained pirates were less effective than an Imperial Soldier. His visor displayed information on each of the enemies, giving targeting solutions. He opened fire.

The first was dispatched by a quick shot to the head. Before his body fell to the ground, Shields broke into a sprint, bolts of energy flying past him.

Shields dove behind a supply crate to use as cover before he brought his pistol to neutralize another pirate.

Two down.

The third was tricky, as he was still in the airlock, using the door as cover. Using his armor to his advantage, he had charged past the other two and tackled the third to the ground, the bolts doing minor damage to the ceramic alloys of the armor. He grabbed the pirate's weapon, leveled it on his target and fired.

He spun around, the last two pirates facing him, their cover now useless as Shields flanked them. He brought the pirate's rifle and opened fire, beams of light striking the other two in the chest.

The fight was short, but just as vicious as Shields had remembered. It had years since he had been in a firefight, let alone one at this close range, but his skills were coming back. As he made his way onto the ship, he let out a sigh.

"They never learn. If you see a scary person in armor as soon as you open an airlock, you close the door and leave. What you don't do is try and fight it."

Realizing that time was short, Shields had gone against his original plan. It would have been nice and dramatic to make his way to the bridge and kill the captain in a final duel, or use the demolition charges he had with him to destroy the reactor. However, experience did remind him that a hull breach was a hull breach. Many Imperial warships were sunk thanks to that reasoning as saboteurs would place explosives in the ships haphazardly, using the pressure wave to create a massive internal damage, the explosive decompression disabling large sections of the ship. The tactic worked no matter the ship type, and Shields expected it to be no different. Taking several steps onto the ship, he set the timer on the detonator, tossed the satchel of charges down a hall that he guessed was near something expensive, as the nearby doors were more ornate than others, and began to cycle the airlock. He had two minutes until the charges blew.

Once the airlock opened, Shields rushed onto the ship and sealed the airlock, sprinting towards the bridge.

"Pirates are cleared captain!" he shouted "Bring us out of here."

The captain did as he was told, the helmsman bringing the freighter away from the pirate craft.

"I can't believe that worked," the captain said, turning to Shields "Why were you so frantic? It sounded like you put a bomb on there."

Kayto remained silent as the ship shook as the pirate destroyer was blown to pieces, the charges causing a rupture on the starboard side of the ship that nearly split the ship in two like a firecracker in a bottle. The sudden loss of atmosphere took care of the rest as the resulting vacuum wave ruptured the thin bulkheads of the ship, eventually causing the fission reactor to go into meltdown. Not long after, there was a brilliant flash as the contained plasma was vented, leaving a corona in its wake. Some of the debris actually struck the freighter, causing it to jolt.

The captain slowly turned to face Kayto, who was thankful that his helmet hid his face from the captain's fury. "What did you do?"

"Neutralize the enemy. Now captain, if you would please, set course to Ryuvia Prime."

 **Salvage Ship- Crew Quarters**

To say the situation was awkward would to be a great understatement. After the stunt he had pulled, the captain had told him to 'get out of my face' In a less friendly version. Fortunately, he had encountered the girl from earlier, Chigara. When he told her of the deal, she was visibly happier and was gracious enough to let Kayto use her quarters to hide from the irate captain until he had calmed down. Now, he and the engineer in question were seated opposite from each other at a small table. They had been talking periodically, mostly about things that occurred on the ship before drifting back in silence. It was at that particular time did Chigara decide to confirm one of the rumors going about the ship.

"So…" she began clumsily, "Did you really throw a bomb into the pirate's ship?"

Kayto let out a groan of frustration. "Okay, I get it. Doing something like that wasn't the smartest thing to do, but it was the best option we had at the time."

"Yes, but it could have damaged our own ship's hull, let alone destroyed the airlock if we didn't detach in time."

Kayto waved off the criticism with a lazy hand "Which is why I ordered the helmsman to break away and heave-to as soon as I came on board. Besides, I've done that dozens of times."

"I wouldn't imagine that the Ceran Space Force would allow such… drastic actions."

Kayto smiled "They don't. I learned that particular trick from Compact."

Chigara blinked. "Compact? Weren't they the terrorist group that overthrew the New Empire and became PACT?"

"First, we weren't terrorists. We were freedom fighters."

"I don't understand the difference. Both use violence in order to further their political goals, except one is used to make the user appear in a more positive light because of who they fight."

"You may want to look up something called connotation, Chigara."

"I understand the word, I just find it confusing."

"Alright, whatever you say. Definitions aside, I served with Compact from 489 all the way to the formation of PACT in 495."

"What was it like?"

"What?" that question caught him off guard. At this point, people would give him some space, their perspective of him changed, usualy for the worse.

"Compact. I've heard a lot of stories about Compact from other salvagers in the Neutral Rim, but I've never met anyone from the rebellion. Not many people do anymore."

Kayto leaned back in his char. "I will admit, it was never easy. Death was always around the corner, but it was something that had to be done. I joined up after I was caught up in a conspiracy that would have resulted in the New Empire retaking much of its territory in the Neutral Rim, including my homeworld. By that time, Compact was already starting to grow in influence. If you wanted its origin story, you'd have to ask someone else."

"But what about you?" Chigara asked again "You must have some stories."

"Chigara" Kayto began, "The Compact Revolution wasn't the cleanest of wars. Not many things that went down were very pretty. My stories especially."

"What did you do?"

Kayto let out another sigh, "If it works to sate your curiosity, I was a specialist."

"A specialist?"

"Well, that was what the I was officially. It was more like an operative or agent. Demolitions expert, infiltrator, saboteur, sniper, assassin. If it was any dirty work that needed to be done involving cloak and dagger, people like me would be doing it."

"Oh." the answer was something that she was not expecting. From his mannerisms during the last few hours, she pictured him to be a valiant commander, leading his troops against insurmountable odds, not a wraith of the battlefield. Even for Chigara, she could see that it was a touchy subject and decided to sway the conversation.

"So when we rescued you, you said you were a member of the Ceran Navy. What did you do there?"

"Funny as it sounds, I was a Captain."

That did take Chigara by surprise.

"Really?" she asked, "How did you become one?"

"It was all an accident, really." Kayto said with a nervous laugh "It was back during Compact's first attack on New Eden. Our main fleets were engaged with the Imperial forces, but one of their fleets managed to bypass the battle and made its way for the one planet with a starport large enough to service our larger ships. Long story short, I rallied a group of volunteers to defend the planet, and we managed to hold them off until a nearby fleet could reinforce us. Apparently, word got round to Cera and impressed the Admirals. So when I returned and joined the Ceran Space Force, I was fast-tracked in their officer program. For some reason, I was given command of a ship instead of a group of soldiers."

That sounded more like the valiant captain narrative Chigara had created. "How did you do it? Hold off the Imperial Fleet?"

"Back then, everyone was focused on using lasers. So the imperial fleet was mostly slow moving laser platforms." Kayto began, leaning back in his chair, "We brought what amount of freighters and what Ryders we could scramble to engage the fleet at close range in the system's asteroid belt. What we did was what happened to the Destroyer. Because the enemy was made of slow moving battleships and carriers, we managed to get in close and used mining charges to disable the ship's cannons or take out the bridge. The battle devolved into a large melee, where the Imperial forces scrambled to take out our ships before we could perform boarding actions, where our weak ships didn't matter. We just needed to offload our people wherever we could. While that was happening, we were able to get our sole carrier around the planet's moon and use it as a rallying point of our Ryders, who were protecting the ships. That said, it was impossible to destroy all of the Imperials. We didn't last for more than than a day before our ships either retreated or were destroyed. Those who couldn't make the jump fought the Imperials on the starports in orbit around the planet. I had the fortune of leading the group of defending this massive shipyard. It was pretty much a moon. On our side, we were outnumbered something like a hundred to one. I think we managed to hold the planet for three months until the Compact Fleet arrived and bailed us out." Kayto scoffed, "All they had to do was fend off some crippled warships and they consider it the greatest naval victory asides from over New Eden. Although, the New Empire never really did recover from the battle. They never won a battle after that. Of course, I wouldn't know much about that, since I was sent to New Eden to prepare things for the invasion."

That story left Chigara in a state of amazement. Here in front of her was a veteran of one of the bloodiest revolutions in recent history. Not only was he just a member, but one who had fought in one of its turning points. What did confuse her was how he carried himself. It was like he didn't care about heroics, as if it was just another day on the job, greatly different from the scientists on Diode, who lauded each other over their accomplishments or the people aboard the salvage ship, who made absurd claims of impossible feats.

"Why did you leave?" she asked, "If you stayed where you were, with Compact, you could have become a hero."

"Chigara, there's more to life than being a hero. Personally, I never did like the fanfare and glory. As long as the job was done, I didn't care who got the credit." he paused, his face giving the appearance of one deep in thought before looking at Chigara. "We all have our reasons, fame wasn't mine."

"We all have our reasons." she repeated slowly, her face deep in thought. "Then why did you barter for my freedom?"

"It pains me to see people have their life taken from them." Kayto answered, "I joined Compact when I was a teen, and spent the rest of my adolescence fighting against the New Empire. After that, I joined the Ceran Navy because I didn't know any other life outside the battlefield. I guess, it was to give you a second chance at life. Trust me Chigara, if you spend all of your time focused on one task, you'll miss the world going on around you. After all, I should know."

"What do you mean by that?"

"When I joined the rebellion, I had left my life behind. I dedicated everything I had to the rebellion. When everything was over, and I got back home, I spent a few months not knowing what to do with my life. I've seen many people's lives destroyed, a lot of them were caused by me. I wasn't going to let yours follow their fate. Nor will you follow mine. Not whIle I can help it."

The two once more sat in silence for a few seconds.

"But enough about me. Tell me some more about yourself Chigara."

"Well, I've always wanted to open a bakery…"

* * *

 **A/N:** Apologies for the delay, so yeah. Life and stuff. It'll be updating sporadically for the foreseeable future. I'm sorry, but there isn't much I can do about it.


	3. Chapter 3- Back in Business

**Two Weeks Later- Ryuvia Prime Spaceport**

Chigara stared at the planet below in awe. "This is amazing! To think so much history had come from this world."

Kayto shook his head, smiling at the younger girl's amazement. Over the past few days, her behaviour had become more lively. "Welcome to Ryuvia, Chigara. Come on, we don't want to miss the transport down to the planet."

"R-right" she stuttered. As she followed him onto the platform. After a few days, they had become good acquaintances. For some reason, Kayto had imprinted himself, as she would follow him everywhere he went during the first days, expressing curiosity in everything he did. She still wouldn't talk to anyone with the exception of himself and several of the crew, yes, but it was an improvement. Chigara had also explored her interest in baking when she had free time, and discovered a passion along with a great amount of talent for it. When the two had left, many of the crew mourned the loss of Chigara's skills in the engineering bay as well as in the mess hall.

However, both of them were becoming aware to the people starring in their direction. Aside from the traders that came through the system every now and then, there were not that many outsiders who came to Ryuvia. Of course the two would stand out, Chigara in her pale grey mechanic's jumpsuit was abnormal, but Kayto stuck out like a sore thumb, his black body glove that most soldiers wore underneath their armor along with his combat visor gave him an unnerving appearance.

"So, Chigara, once we land, the first thing we need is a place to stay. We have a little more than a thousand credits so we'll be fine for now, but it isn't a permanent solution. Once we get situated, we need to find work." Kayto could remember the look on the captain's face when he had asked it.

"What if we don't find one?"

"Don't worry about that, I can call in some favors if we need to.."

The two were unable to continue their conversation as at that moment, members of the Ryuvian Guard entered the platform. Each of them was adorned with the ancient symbols of the Ryuvian Throne. Most were equipped with laser rifles while a select few held weapons that were relegated to fiction. Disintegration Lances. Their entrance was sudden, most of the people panicking as the troops flooded the area.

"Kayto, what's going on?" she asked, confused.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be fine. Probably some stowaway."

"Kayto Shields!" one called out "We know you're here. Show yourself!"

The people around them was whispered to themselves.

"Kayto Shields? Who's that?"

"You don't know? He was hired by the King five years ago for some mission."

"Really? I heard from my uncle that he was one of Compact's top assassins."

"What do you suspect someone like him would be doing here?"

The entire crowd turned towards Kayto, who was standing still. Chigara was staring straight at him, confusion in her eyes. "Kayto?"

"Of all the times, they pick now." Kayto grumbled to himself

One of the guards called out, his voice silencing the crowd. "You over there! Don't move!" He was pointing at Kayto

The entire crowd turned to face Kayto, immediately parting as the Guard made their way over to him.

"You have received summons from his Highness, Jaylor Di Ryuvia."

"I know that, but why? I don't remember pissing anyone off lately."

"Not my place to say. You will hand over your weapons or they will be taken by force.."

Before he could protest, two other guards approached from behind, cutting him off from a hasty retreat. Slowly Kayto accepted his fate as he followed the guards. As he was escorted away, Chigara ran after him.

"Kayto!" she called out as two others made their way to intercept her. When one reached out to grab her, she pulled her hair ribbon from her head and brought it against him. The guard dropped to the ground, suddenly becoming a temporary conduit of several thousand volts of electricity. When the first one fell, the other stepped back and reached for his weapon, but was too slow as Chigara had already reached him, stunning him like his comrade. By then, the others had drawn their weapons, leveling them on the girl. "Help me!" she cried out,several guards moving to detain her.

Kayto froze.

 _Help Me_

Those words resonated within his head. Worlds that Kayto was well acquainted with in his years fighting. It never brought back good memories.

A young girl, barely twelve who was crying over the body of her father, who was bleeding heavily while her mother screamed out in terror as pirates took aim at them. That was six years ago when Kayto was sent to infiltrate a pirate group. He stood there as they were killed.

A refugee, who was running through the streets towards a Compact squad during the fight for a planet's liberation. He believed that he had escaped an Imperial Internment Camp, when in reality, he was turned into a living bomb. The man's face bore relief as he sprinted, screaming for them to free his family, unaware of what he held within. He was killed by the squad's marksman before he could do anything. After the shot was taken, the man's face was one of shock and confusion before the explosives forcibly implanted detonated. He was just another of the many Kayto would have to kill before the planet was liberated.

The voices of his comrades on a New Empire supply depot joined the others. The initial attack had gone well, but everything went wrong as an experimental unit was deployed and his platoon was picked off one by one. Shields was tasked with giving supporting fire from the adjacent buildings. They all cried for help before they were killed, many of them in front of his scope, right before he could take the shot that would have saved them.

There was also a pair of twins who screamed that phrase during the sacking of New Eden. Their parents were high ranking government officials who had become targets of Compact's hitmen. The two were spared from death at their hands, at his hands, but not from the ravages of the Compact soldiers who pillaged the capital city. People that Kayto couldn't save, but they wouldn't be the last.

That phrase was something that had haunted him since he had returned form Compact. No matter what, people would always die, no matter how they begged and pleaded for salvation, it would never come. After he had returned to Cera, Kayto swore that he do what he could to ensure that torment would not befall anyone around him, more for the sake of his own sanity. It happened to him many times before, and he wouldn't allow that to happen.

Not anymore.

Kayto's reflexes kicked in as he spun around, using the advantage of surprise to disorient the guards behind him with several strikes to the abdomen and the back of the knee. When they dropped to the ground, he struck them in the back of the head, knocking them out. Once those two were dealt with, he drew his pistol and aimed it at the guards. Using his visor's targeting assistance, he opened fire.

With a series of bright flashes and the cracks of energy discharge, the laser bolts struck the Ryuvian guards' rifles dead center, melting the focusing chambers and rendering them useless. With their weapons disabled and their comrades disoriented, Shields continued firing. While the the laser would not kill them, it would be enough to remove them from the fight. After they dropped to the ground, he put himself between Chigara and the firing line of several guards including the captain. With both keeping their weapons aimed, the two groups were locked in a stalemate, none willing to take the shot. It was minutes before one would break the tense silence.

"Stand down, Kayto Shields." The captain said, bringing his rifle to a resting position. "Put the weapon down, and we can all walk away from this." Unlike the captain, Shields still kept his weapon aimed.

"Why don't your men do the same?" Kayto said back, "You people should know how I work, give me no threat, and I don't become one."

The two groups remained in their standoff until Kayto felt a gentle tugging on his arm. Next to him was Chigara, who was trying to nudge his arm down.

"Kayto. Please."

With a sigh, Shields complied, bringing his pistol back into his holster. Raising his hands, he stepped forward. "Alright, let's get this over with."

"Glad you could see reason." The commander said, ordering his men to stand down. "If you will, come with us."

"I'm not going to like this, am I?"

 **Ryuvian Star Palace**

The halls of the Ryuvian Star Palace were massive compared to the structures of other planets. They reflected the grandeur of the Empire they reflected, large and elegant, giving show to a rich history lasting thousands of years. It had always served as the residence of the Ryuvian Emperor and his court, orbiting above the planet that gave birth to the once mighty empire. No such place in the Star Palace was as ornate as the Great Hall, the place where many important events from weddings to galas, and in this case, a Royal Summons.

Two figures stood out in comparison to the lavish clothing of the Ryuvian Court. The first was what appeared to be a peasant girl at the cusp of adulthood wearing a grey jumpsuit dirtied with oil and grease that was in direct conflict with her delicate face. The second one drew the most concern from the bystanders. He wore a black bodysuit similar to what was worn by Ryder pilots, and over his face was an opaque visor, blocking out most of his features, aside from the wild mass of white hair atop his head. Unlike the girl, who moved with a visible nervousness and worry, her companion strode with confidence. On either side of him were members of the Ryuvian Guard, the King's personal forces. As the small group made their way to the door, a clear voice cried out their entry.

"Introducing, Kayto Shields!"

That name sent the royal court in a gentle murmur. Many of the older members knew that name well, a bit too well. Five years ago, the bearer of that very name had garnered support for PACT, at that time Compact, in their fight against the New Empire. Upon hearing his name, the man in question strode across the hall, ignoring the stares he was given until he met the end of his path. Before him was the reason he was present.

The Ruler of what remained of the Ryuvian Empire, King Jaylor di Ryuvia.

Kayto brought himself to one knee, his hand on his breast. Rule one of the monarchy still resonated within his head. Do not, under any circumstances, disregard tradition or piss anyone off. In public, at the very least.

"Kayto Shields," the man began "Do you know why you are brought before me?"

"No, your highness. I had only arrived before your men had brought me here." Kayto paused for a second, deep in thought. It was not long before he looked back at the king. "For the record, I paid you back for the cruiser I had blown up. And for the second, we agreed it was not of my doing."

Majority of the nobility present gazed upon the man with shocked expressions, some with open mouths. Very few would dare admit to destroying one of the few Ryuvian Cruisers, let alone attempting to explain the destruction of another. Those that did were either insane or had a death wish.

King Jaylor looked to the other occupants of the hall, "Leave us."

"But your highness, this man is-" one guard protested

"Need I repeat myself?" Jaylor repeated, interrupting the man. The guard in question shied away.

It took several minutes, but the command was carried out and the occupants took their leave. As they filtered out, Chigara and the guard escort followed suit, remaining on the other side of the door. Soon, only the two of them remained, and the heavy doors shut.

Ryuvian Star Palace- Kayto Shields

Now that the two of them were alone, the king began to speak, his voice echoing in the halls.

"It truly has been a long time Kayto. How long has it been? Five years since you had left to continue your war against the New Empire?

"It has. Although from how you look, it's probably been fifty." Kayto answered, commenting on the considerable age of the man before him with a smile on his face. When he had last seen the man, he appeared to be in his thirties. Jaylor let out a laugh, his voice echoing in the large room.

"As amusing as always. It surprises me that when your PACT has decided to finally send its ambassador three years later, considering our support, you would be the one they send. But now, I am glad the wait was well worth it."

"Actually, you're going to have to wait longer. I left PACT not long after it was established as a legitimate nation. I'm here on more... personal reasons."

King Jaylor was surprised. When he had met the man, Kayto had proven himself capable at securing the support of the nobles to aid Compact against the New Empire. The man had spent half a standard year maneuvering through Ryuvian Politics for his group, risking life and limb to achieve that goal, The news that he had left the organization he had sacrificed much for was unexpected. "And might that be?"

"To be blunt, I need a work visa."

"I imagine that it is not for you?"

"You assume correctly. It's for the girl that arrived with me. We both know what life around me is like. She deserves more that."

Jaylor shook his head "Abandoning people after you make sure they can live the life you view best for them without any consideration for their feelings, let alone yours. The signature work of Kayto Shields."

"You know as well as I do that I'm not good at settling down. Maybe later, but not now. There's still things that need to be done."

Jaylor laughed, "It appears to me that you are simply running from your actions."

Kayto scoffed, "I'll make sure to keep your oh-so infinite wisdom in mind. Just don't hold your breath."

"Very well. I shall grant your request, on one condition."

"I would have expected that you would say that."

"An answer to this question. Kayto Shields, where do your loyalties lie?"

Kayto stared at the man before him. "Had you asked me that when we first met, I would have said that I would defend the people or something equally idealistic. Now, I can't tell you. "

Jaylor smiled, the answer he was given was exactly the one he wanted. Kayto was not bound by anyone or anything and that was something he could use to his advantage. The man before him was one of the most effective people he had met whether it be on the battlefield or in the public arena as he navigated the political maze of his Royal Court to garner support for his cause all those years ago.

"An interesting answer, Kayto. And as always, very noncommittal."

"You should very well know, it's the reason I never rose above my lowly position of specialist in Compact."

"Five years ago, you risked your life to rescue my wife and daughter from pirates who wished to hold them hostage. None of us had asked you to do so. When you had received word, you took your men and set out to rescue them. You had risked the lives of you and your men in order to preserve the bloodline of the Ryuvian Empire, and more importantly, my family. Without request, you had pledged yourself to protect the Ryuvian bloodline as long as you held breath all those years ago. If you had wanted, I could have brought you into my family." he walked forward and placed his hand on Kayto's shoulder, "Wherever you find yourself, know that you have my blessing. "

The two stared at each other for some time, an unsaid conversation taking place. Each man knew the motivations of the other, and had respect for eachother. Not too long after , Kayto gave a polite nod and turned around to make his way out. Before he did, he spoke his last words.

"I'm sorry for what happened all those years ago." Kayto said, looking down. "If we had been faster, we could have-"

"There is no need, Kayto Shields." Jaylor interrupted, his voice downcast. "We did not wish to involve outsiders in internal affairs. I should be grateful. If it were not for you, my daughter would have been lost as well. Do not apologize for what was not your responsibility in the first place."

"Still. Losing someone like that. It was a failure that I will never forget."

"Indeed. Such is the burden of men like us. We sacrifice so much for others, we end up hurting those closest to us." he paused before continuing, "In that way, I understand why you prefer to isolate yourself. If I were younger, I would have taken up your mentality." He gave a slight chuckle. "Then I would be the one to admonish you for your life choices." the two shared a laugh.

"Now for that condition…"

Kayto let out a groan in frustration, "You were serious about that?"

"I am the King of Ryuvia, and you are a mercenary. When do we ever do something out of the goodness of our hearts?"

"For family?

"Yes, but you did turn down that offer, did you not?"

"But you never took it off the table."

Jaylor smiled, "There is still hope for you yet."

"Ha ha. Very funny." a sarcastic Kayto commented, "Now what do you want me to do?"

Ryuvian Star Palace- Chigara Lynn Ashada

Chigara was beginning to be worried. It had been a little over twenty minutes since she was escorted outside the great hall. There was a silence between her and the two guardsmen by the massive doors that divided the room she was standing in from where Kayto and the King were having their meeting. Unlike the silence that commonly surrounded her and Kayto, it was tense, full of her fear for what was to happen, and the anticipation of the Guards who were concerned that the ruler of their empire was alone with a man who had managed to disable a group of their fellow guardsmen, and for the few who knew, a soldier who was known for the fall of many worlds during the PACT Rebellion.

Their wait would not be for much longer, for the doors had suddenly opened and out walked a single man. His appearance was the same as when he had entered, except from one glaring feature. Over his shoulder was a small duffel bag, bearing the Royal Ryuvian Crest. Upon seeing him, Chigara had ran over to him.

"Kayto! You're alright!" the young woman shouted in relief. "What happened in there?"

"Nothing to worry about, it's all taken care of." he replied, "Besides, you need to focus on getting a job for yourself."

That statement confused Chigara, "But Kayto, I heard that you need a work visa..."

"All taken care of. The king and I are on good terms." he answered, holding a small folder bearing the written material. On it was the seal of the Ryuvian Throne. Unlike the datapads, this was an actual folder. On actual parchment.

Tears began to fill her eyes. "Kayto, I don't know what to say. I don't know how to repay you."

"You can start by living your life." he said, a small smile on his face. "It's not the best, but it's a good start."

"What about you? I only see one visa."

Kayto looked away sheepishly. "You see, I was only able to acquire one. You need it more than I do."

"That doesn't seem fair in the slightest. What are you going to do?"

"His majesty gave me an assignment. The pay from that should be enough for me to take care of myself for some time. After that, well, I guess I could freelance again. Tydaria needs some capable mercs last time I heard."

Chigara looked visibly upset. "So after all we've been through, you're leaving? Just like that?"

"It'd be a bad situation if I stayed. Ryuvia's ruling class and I aren't on the best of terms. I'd only cause more trouble for you."

"So what would happen if I said that didn't matter? You're willing to leave me here?" she was refusing to look him in the eye, instead turning her gaze towards the ground

Kayto lifted her chin."Hey, don't talk like that. I'll make sure to keep in touch, and if you need me, I'll be a couple days away by transport."

"If you end up where you say you will."

"Why don't we make a little deal. I'll complete the mission and after that, I'll stay here for a week to help you get situated. We'll figure the rest out after that."

"Alright."

"Don't worry. I'll be back by tomorrow evening. Take some time to get acquainted with the city, look for some jobs."

Before their conversation could continue further , a messenger approached them.

"Kayto Shields, the Captain is ready to brief you on your objective. Please, follow me."

As he walked off, Chigara called out to him.

"Kayto! Be safe!."

In response, he gave her a smile "I'll be fine. I promise."

He turned to the messenger. "Alright, what's the mission?"

"That would be a raid." The captain from earlier had answered, approaching him. It was at that moment that the messenger had decided to make his leave. "We've been having some problems with smuggling rings recently."

"That doesn't make much sense." Kayto noted, "Smuggling rings aren't usually the thing that I used to deal with. It must be bad if he needs me for the job."

"It's worse than it should be. It isn't just your usual contraband."

"What are we talking about here?"

"Drugs, second hand military equipment, and we've had rumors of Human Trafficking."

That got Kayto's attention. "How do you know? And better yet, why haven't you done anything about it?"

"That's why we need you." The captain admitted. "We have suspicion that several members of the Ryuvian nobility may be involved with their operation. Your job is to investigate to confirm whether or not they are, and if necessary, deal with them."

"So that's the catch."

"You understand why we need to rely on a third party to resolve the situation."

"Clearly. How do you want me to proceed with this?"

"Mission protocol deems that they be brought to face a trial for their crimes." the captain explained before he was cut off by Kayto

"But we all know that they would get away with a slap on the wrist."

"Yes. So the crown would like for you to take care of the situation as to not make an impression that he was purging his political opponents. Current or Future."

"So make it look like an accident."

That took the captain by surprise. "An accident? Shields, the Ryuvian Guard will not be responsible for the death of a noble."

"The Ryuvian Guard will not be taking part in the operation."

"Excuse me? You expect me to believe that my men will not take part in an operation that was sanctioned by the _King_?"

Kayto looked around the hall to make sure the two were alone. "Exactly. Listen to me. Your men will be on a routine patrol when they encounter a disturbance in the region to _'discover'_ the smugglers. Leave the nobles to me."

It took a while for the captain, but eventually, his face changed from confusion, to realization, followed by horror. "You're dead set on doing this, aren't you?"

"Corruption needs to be dealt with at the head. It's a better risk to gamble on their replacements."

The captain let out a sigh. "This time, please don't destroy another warship."

"Ah, so you _do_ know how I operate."

"I was a lieutenant when you pulled that stunt. One cruiser carrying twelve nobles who were pro-New Empire and another eight who were vocal in their refusal to aid Compact suddenly die when the RSV Imperial's drive core tears the ship apart during transit to New Eden. All hands were lost. Further investigation showed an overworked crew neglected the drive core. I didn't find out what happened until I got my security clearance. Everyone still thinks it was a freak accide-" he stopped. "Dear Ryuvia…."

When Shields turned to look at the captain, he bore a sinister grin. "You get it now, don't you?" as he made his way past the now still captain. "Another thing, I'd recommend your men are prepared to fight without an atmosphere."


	4. Chapter 4- Investigating

**Ryuvian Spaceport- 6 Hours Later**

Shields stood on the catwalks above the warehouse where the smugglers kept their goods. In all honesty, he was impressed. How they managed to smuggle dozens of Ryders, hundreds of weapons with ammunition, and a quantum torpedo was anyone's guess, but they did it. He had to admit, it was impressive. Below him, people were scrambling to store what remained of a new shipment. They had been doing so for the past few hours, even before he had arrived. As it looked, people began to slowly leave as their duties were finished for the day. It would still take some time for them to finish, but Shields could wait.

And wait he did.

Eventually, the lights turned off, signaling the fact that he was alone. The Visor's Heads Up Display began to process the information from the integrated LADAR suite, giving him a wire-mesh view of his surroundings. After he took note of the area, Shields went to work.

Slowly, the now mercenary moved into action. Dropping from the catwalk onto one of the higher containers, he made his way to the ground. There was nothing special that he was doing, just the standard protocol of using the enemy's weapons against them. In this case, Shields was after explosives, mainly his favorite: the demolition charge. Easy to make, about the size of a hand grenade, and a large, potent blast. Combined with a storeroom of other munitions, fuel, and other things that reacted poorly to explosions, this was a perfect storm. After looking through several cargo containers, he found his objective, also taking some time to "liberate" some of the smuggled goods. Now armed with a crate of explosives and a new laser rifle, he set forth on his work.

Shields did make one note about these smugglers. They were well organized. Everything was grouped together in neat sections, without labels for obvious reasons. That made everything easier for him. The process of sabotaging the room was not as difficult. Making it look like an accident on the other hand, was. It took some time, but eventually, everything was complete. In the end, he only need to use three of the charges. One was placed on a fuel tank that was close to some electronics. The next was not too far off, in the container where he had found the explosives in the first place. The last was completely separate from the rest, linked to its own detonator. The quantum torpedo.

'Just a backup plan' Shields thought to himself, as he scaled the containers toward the catwalks.

That was when a door opened.

The door was not a side access, but the main bay doors. With a great deal of noise, figures made their way in.

Shields's visor began to identify the people as potential targets. Majority of them were armed.

"What did you bring me here for?" an Irate voice asked, "I have things to be doing."

"Of course sir, but our latest shipment contains something of a more... how would you say it? Time-sensitive matter." another voice answered.

By now, the figures were identified. Well, enough of them. Particularly one.

Viscount Landon Hiro.

Shields grinned, the ring he was targeting was one of many, but what mattered, was that this was known to conduct business with the nobles.

And despite what he told the captain, he only needed one.

"And what would be so important that I must cancel a meeting with my wife?"

The group walked over to the container that held the quantum torpedo. The lead smuggler nodded to two of his lackeys, who opened the door to reveal it.

"I present to you, a quantum torpedo. Mint-condition. The perfect weapon for whatever venture you find yourself in."

"Interesting. Very interesting." the Viscount said as he reached towards the weapon, only to have the door shut in front of him.

"But first." the lead smuggler said with a smug grin."We need to discuss price. You see, this took me years to acquire and is… quite dear to me. Let's start at... say... one point two million."

The noble sputtered, shaking his head. "I'll purchase it for one million and no more."

"Trying to haggle this, are you." the smuggler leaned closer to the Viscount. "You've done good business with me, so I'm already selling this to you at a considerable discount. One point two million."

The conversation was interrupted with the sound of boots against the metal floor.

Another figure entered the room. "I assume that I am not too late for this meeting? And I did hear your discussion earlier. I will purchase this for one point two million credits."

"Of course." The smuggler bowed,"It was a pleasure doing business with you."

"What is the meaning of this?!" Viscount Hiro shouted, storming towards the new figure "I demand to know who you brought in on thi- Lord William?"

"Ah, Landon. I thought that was you, considering your insolence and unfounded self-importance." The now named lord mocked. "You truly don't understand the significance of seizing an opportunity. After all, the princess is far too young to take the throne, and we all know that the King is reaching the end of his life. So why would you be so stupid as to not take advantage of a weapon with the power to vanquish your rivals? A shame, really. But then again. you cannot even satisfy your own spouse, let alone your ambition."

"How dare you!" Landon shouted "I'll buy it for one point five million!"

William smiled, "Make my bid two million."

"Two?! Fine, Two and a quarter."

"Two and a half."

Their bickering was interrupted when one of the guards called out from behind the container.

"Sir? I think we have a problem here."

The lead smuggler made his way over to the man. "What is it?"

"Did the... torpedo container have a blinking light on it?"

That left everyone confused "What blinking light?"

"This one over here. Look."

The smuggler moved to confirm the observation. Immediately, he spoke into his communications device. "Get everyone in the warehouse now! We have an intruder."

Shields knew when he was compromised. He took his rifle and aimed at the lead smuggler.

When more armed guards made their way into the warehouse, Shields pulled the trigger.

And the room devolved into chaos.

 **Ryuvian Spaceport- Captain of the Guard Okimura**

Captain Okimura was not having a good day. First his mission gets taken over by some mercenary that the King knew, only be told that his assistance wasn't needed. Then he realizes that the same mercenary was not only the cause of the greatest disaster in recent Ryuvian history. Add the fact that said person had already admitted to killing members of Ryuvian Nobility and that he was only given the order of 'eliminate the threat.' Okimura attempted to at least ask for a peaceful resolution, but that had failed. Now here he was, patrolling some backwards portion of the spaceport while a crazy mass murderer was out doing the job he was originally given.

"Captain, what are we doing here? Aren't we supposed to be arresting smugglers?" one of his men asked.

"Sergeant, just keep patrolling this area. The throne has enlisted some outside assistance in resolving the situation."

"Really sir? Outside assistance?"

"Yes sergeant. I don't like it either, but orders are orders. It's best we stick to them."

"Yes sir."

Not too long after, a voice came on over the radio.

 **Attention all units. Firefight in Section 32-B. Confirmed casualties.  
**  
Okimura called out to his men. "Alright, listen up! We're the closest group, so we get to be the first to respond! I want to be prepared for combat in zero atmosphere by the time we get there. Move out!"

"Zero atmosphere sir?"

"This may be the outside assistance."

"Are you sure?"

"I hope not. Stars, I hope not."

 **Ryuvian Spaceport- Kayto Shields**

A wise man once said "War is hell."

Shields agreed, but thought that the man had left something out.

Chaos.

War is definitely chaos.

As Kayto fired on the smugglers below, he kind of felt sorry for them. A concealed enemy in an elevated position was one of the worst things to deal with.

Shields didn't. He took pleasure on dispensing death.

When he thought about it, he found it strange. Sometime during the Compact Revolution, he kind of, well, snapped. It was like there were two voices to the same person. Kayto was everything he was before the war. Kind, fun-loving, always inspiring people wherever he went. If nothing had changed, he would probably be a paragon of justice or something like that. Maybe a captain of a new ship, loved by everybody he met.

Then there was Shields.

Quite ironic for the name, he was anything but. Ruthless, cruel, almost borderline sadistic to anyone who had the misfortune of crossing his path. Shields was forged from the Revolution. A reaper that tore into the enemy without remorse. The enemy eventually learned that they could not escape, so much that just rumors of his presence was enough to cause several to surrender.

The two weren't separate personalities, but more of opposing mentalities. It had taken Kayto years to find a balance after the Revolution. Up until recently, Shields was slowly retreating to the recesses of his mind. But there was one thing that Kayto knew.

Shields lived for war. Whenever Kayto was in combat, he would always have Shields prodding, waiting to be unleashed upon the enemy. And after repressing him for so long, Kayto did never fix the habit of letting Shields free during that timgfpe.

And old habits die hard.

The opening salvo was a burst of three laser bolts, striking the lead smuggler's chest dead center. He was dead immediately. When the others looked to the origin of the shooter, Shields continued his fire, picking off another target with the pull of a trigger. Almost like clockwork.

Aim.

Fire.

Target Down.

Repeat.

It was only enough time to kill three more before they figured out where he was. Slinging his weapon behind his back, he scrambled down the containers.

The nobles were trying to escape.

Shields couldn't let that happen.

Using the containers as cover, he moved through the warehouse.

There was only one guard between him and the hall connecting the warehouse section to the main spaceport. The nobles were already sprinting as fast as they could towards the exit. Already, he could see the Captain and his men on the other side of the access door trying to open it.

Taking his sidearm, he rushed past the henchman and fired a single bolt at his neck. The shot killed him as it struck. However, his allies returned fire. He felt a bullet puncture his bodysuit, but he continued moving. Wounds could heal later, but these targets could not escape. Already, they were pounding against the access door as the Royal Guard rushed to unlock it.

Shields ran up to the door, the Captain gave him a nod. His visor displayed the status of all of the charges. All of them were ready to detonate.

As soon as the door opened, Shields stepped through and sent the command.

It happened in the course of seconds, but for everyone involved, it lasted forever.

As the demolition charges exploded, most of the things in the storehouse followed. Fuel, explosives, everything that could explode did. Once again, a violent blast in a sealed room has negative consequences. Shields knew that there was enough to cause serious depressurization. He just didn't expect the blast to tear through the access way and send fragments of metal through the hall. Unexpected, but not unwelcome.

As suddenly as the blast occurred, the vacuum of space took hold. The entire warehouse was torn from the spaceport thanks to the blast, but the after effects tore up majority of the access hall as well, leaving most of it open to the cosmos.

The Royal Guard managed to pull the Lord through the door with Shields's help before it closed. Unfortunately, the Viscount was clinging to the other side.

That was when the charge on the quantum torpedo went off.

One moment the Viscount was banging on the door, one bright flash of light later, he was gone. Nothing left.

The station didn't even shake from the torpedo's blast.

For an entire minute, the Royal Guard stared at the viewport that the Viscount was previously banging at, ignoring the frantic radio chatter.

The captain proceeded to grab Shields and pinned him to the wall.

"Shields. What the hell happened in there." Captain Okimura ordered, glaring at the man. His men already had their rifles raised.

"I was investigating the warehouse" Shields responded, as if nothing had happened. "Got caught up in a firefight with the smugglers. Turns out they were better equipped than we thought."

"And what about the blast?"

"Ah. That. One of them hit a fuel tank or something. They had a supply depot in there. Ryders, ammo, fuel, and I think I saw a quantum torpedo somewhere in there." The captain released him.

At this point the Lord was shaking due to his nervousness, too much in shock to counter anything that Shields was saying.

"And what about Lord William here?" Okimura asked

What was said next shocked everyone. "The viscount dragged him along. No charges against him. At least, none that I have proof of."

The Lord collapsed to the ground and was carried off to receive medical assistance.

After a while, the two stood in silence as the emergency teams arrived to secure the section, making sure the damage could easily be contained. The guard were already cordoning the section, making sure no civilians could interrupt.

"What happened to making it look like an accident?"

"Don't worry, all part of the plan."

"You call assaulting a known smuggler subtle? Ridiculous!" Captain Okimura threw up his hands. After he cooled down, he leaned in so only Shields could hear "Are you sure we can let him go?" he whispered

"Don't worry. Viscount Hiro was supposed to be the example. William is just the messenger. Once word spreads, then the nobles should back off enough for you to arrest the more stubborn ones. Losing their support should give you an opening to take down the remaining groups."

"And if they don't?"

Kayto began to walk away. "Just give me another call."

Before he left Okimura called out to Kayto "You really had to go blow up part of the spaceport, didn't you?"

"Anything to get the job done. This makes twenty two by the way."

"I thought Landon only made twenty one? Duke William is perfectly fine."

Shields turned around. "He might have some health complications in a day or two. What do you think made him drop to the ground like that? Shock?"

With that, he walked out to the main spaceport area, passing the emergency personnel who were rushing past him to repair any damage that had occured. He could already hear the intercom giving instructions to proceed to the nearest evacuation point. That, and a captain reconsidering his career.

 **Ryuvia- Kayto Shields**

It had been several years, but Ryuvia still managed to look the same. The grand buildings that lined the streets were the same, the avenues that served as the lifeblood of the city was the same. Even the people were the same, always heading from one place to another, always rushing to their next destination. What wasn't the same, was the now completed terminal that acted as not only the hub for planetary travel, but the gateway for anyone arriving from one of the spaceports. Kayto was supposed to meet Chigara somewhere around here, but it was difficult due to the evacuation from the largest of Ryuvia's three spaceports. And despite the bright lights, the fact that it was night did not help at all.

'I really should have reconsidered the aftereffects of that plan.' he thought to himself as he maneuvered through the crowd.

His search for the young engineer and aspiring baker ended after the twenty minute mark. Eventually, he made it out of the terminal out to the main boulevard. By one of the support pillars stood the person in question. Her grey jumpsuit contrasting with the bright clothing of the Ryuvian natives. From where he was, he could already see the concern spread on her face. Kayto slowly made his way through the crowd. Eventually, he made his way over.

When he tapped her shoulder, Chigara flinched before turning to him. Immediately, her face changed into one of relief.

Before she could say anything, Kayto spoke. "So, did you do anything interesting today?"

Apparently, those words didn't alieve her worries. "Kayto!" she cried out, "There was an attack on one of the spaceports. The very _same spaceport_ you happened to be on, and the first thing you say is 'Did you do anything interesting?' How can you be so calm? You could have died!"

'Is she… scolding me?' he thought in disbelief. "Chigara, calm down. I had everything under control. You didn't think something like that would be able to hurt me, did you?"

"But-"

"No buts," Kayto interrupted, placing a finger on her nose. "I made it back all right. I promised I would come back and help you for a week, and here I am. I finished my job, and they won't be needing me anymore. Now that that's out of the way, why don't you tell me what you've been up to."

Chigara let out a sigh. It surprised her that Kayto had been so reckless, even with the stories that he had told her. "I did find a cheap apartment that would accept off worlders."

"That's good. And how about a job?"

She frowned, "The labor offices were dismissive when I had went there."

Kayto smiled. The next day was going to be interesting. "I guess we have the first thing on our list tomorrow. So, why don't you show me where this apartment is?"

"Fine, but don't think we're done talking about it. You worried me sick."

"I'll tell you tomorrow. Right now, I feel like taking it easy for the rest of the day."

With that, the two left the crowded terminal, a peaceful silence present between the two and just for that moment, everything seemed like it would turn out alright.


	5. Chapter 5- Changing Careers

**A/N:** Hey folks, not quite dead yet. Just busy and lacking inspiration. Now that the former has lessened, and the latter has returned, we can continue updating on a whoever often it is basis. Thanks for staying with me. It's a pretty short one, but I'll make it up to you on the next go around.

* * *

 **Ryuvia- Residential District- One Week Later**

Kayto Shields had found himself in front of the shuttle terminal that would take him to the spaceport. The sun had yet to rise, and as such, the terminal was almost completely empty.

' _It's been a long week, but I think that it's time to move on. I just hope Chigara will be able to hold her own. Shields, calm down. She's a capable girl.'_ he took a breath in the cold morning air as he heard a voice calling out behind him.

"Kayto!"

"And of course she would be here." Kayto turned around to see a flash of periwinkle hair before its owner grabbed him in a hug. "Chigara, what are you doing here? You should be getting some rest. Didn't your shift end a little bit ago? You should be resting."

She pouted. "Well, I couldn't get much sleep when I didn't see you when I got home. You told me that you'd let me know when you were leaving! You didn't even leave a note!"

He rubbed the back of his head. " I guess I should apologize for making you worry like that, but you knew I was leaving today long since we arrived. And I _did_ leave a note. It just happened to be on your bed."

"If you say so. But… do you really have to leave? The shop could use some work, and you operated that construction mech pretty well a few days ago. I'm sure that they wouldn't mind"

"Chigara. You know that I can't stay too long. There are still things out there that I need to take care of."

"But I-"

 _ **Attention- The 0500 Shuttle to the Ryuvia Spaceport is Now Boarding. The 0500 Shuttle to the Ryuvia Spaceport is Now Boarding**_

Kayto picked up his bag, and ruffled Chigara's hair, much to her annoyance. "Hey, don't worry. As soon as I get settled, I'll make sure to call when I get there."

"Where are you going?"

"Probably Tydaria. They've got a good mining outpost there."

Kayto turned around and made his way down the long hallway to the shuttle.

"Hey Kayto?"

"Yes?"

"Promise me you'll be safe?"

"Sure thing Chigara. Sure thing."

As soon as Kayto boarded the shuttle, the doors closed and he let out a sigh. This was going to be a rough ride.

* * *

 **6 Months Later- Tydaria**

Tydaria. The unofficial hub of the Neutral Rim. Here, the many ships of the Mining Union gathered here to process their cargo, refuel, and prepare to head out to the asteroid fields. The system itself was nothing too out of the ordinary, just laying on a junction of several warp routes. The planets were still rich in materials, but that did not explain the large network of orbital and deep space stations that made the area the hub that it was. Thankfully, that was explained by a rather large population that made their home to the system..

Mercenaries.

Well, the official term was "Freelancers," but everyone on the station knew otherwise. Usually, you had groups of people team up, form a larger organization, and eventually establish themselves as one of the many private defense corporations that made their home in system. Once you got there, you really started to make bank. High profile jobs worth millions of credits. These were the big ticket items that every Freelancer on Tydaria dreamt of. Hell, a job offering a couple thousand was more than good enough. After all, when you live in a one-bedroom apartment in a modified warehouse, it was your only way out. But business was unforgiving, with each individual putting everything on the line whenever they took a job. Some couldn't cut it and joined gangs or in some cases, one of the Pirate Groups that had their eyes on what sweet riches Tydaria had to offer. But for the newcomer, or those not unfortunate enough, they had to operate out of the various contracting groups that worked in tandem with corporations such as the Mining Union, taking a small portion as a fee, of course. And whatever was left, you made do.

"That's your pay." a gruff man said behind a reinforced glass panel, placing a small card on the table in front of him. "Two-hundred credits."

"Two hundred?!" Shouted the mercenary, a white haired individual, "The job was worth at least a couple thousand."

"Tydaria Contracting takes fifteen percent in fees, and the rest was deducted due to… damages." The other man gave out a sigh. "Look, Shields, Shogo Heavy Industries lost a freighter and two gunships on a job _you_ were tasked to protect. You should be happy they're giving you something."

Kayto shook his head. "And I _warned_ them that there was a minefield placed there by pirates last week. They should be going after the idiots who gave that area the all-clear!" at this point, several other Freelancers were staring at the exchange. Some were amused at the sight before them. Others simply sighed and shook their heads.

The man behind the desk held up his hands in resignation. "Hey, calm down. I'm just the messenger here. If you're so unhappy about it, take it up with someone else. Or even better, sign onto another job. I heard that one Mining Union rep, Brooks? Yeah, she put in a favorable review with your performance on that one job last month. Maybe you hit her up and see if she has one for you. I mean… if they finally forgive you about that one tanker incident."

"I think I'll just lay low for some time, you know? Let this all blow over and maybe see if there's something for Counter-Piracy. They again, there _have_ been fewer of them lately."

"Yeah, right after you showed up. I wonder _who_ would be the cause of it. I mean, it's not like anyone on this station took all of them, and traumatized them so much that the Pirate Lords decided it was better off relocating." The sarcasm was thick in that statement, some of the other bystanders sharing a laugh, along with one of them calling out "Nice going there Shields."

"Yeah, yeah. See you later Dwane." Kayto turned around and walked away, waving to the gruff man.

Not too long after, Shields had made his way towards the "apartment block" if one could call it that. Essentially, it was an old warehouse that had prefabricated housing units stacked on top of each other. Making his way past the entrance, he paid off his rent before making his way up the stairwell towards what could be considered his home.

"And… there goes another four hundred." he muttered, looking at the card. "How much do I have again? Maybe another thousand?"

Thankfully, the terminal, which acted as his only window to the outside world, started to beep. Kayto knew this sound well, the picture that displayed along with the caller information, he knew even more so. Without a second thought, he attempted to fix his hair and answered the call. Ah quantum entanglement. Sure it was pricey to connect the terminal to what was commonly referred to as "the Grid," but it sure was worth it to have a lag-free conversation, light years away, with this one individual..

"Kayto!" a cheery faced Chigara called out from the other side of the screen. "It's good to see you! Are you doing okay?"

The man smiled. Her mood had improved a lot since the two parted ways. Apparently, she made a friend a few weeks ago that she had yet to introduce. From what he had heard, they made quite the duo. Of course, Chigara spent most of her time keeping her friend out of trouble. "Yeah, I'm doing alright. How's life over in Ryuvia?"

"Oh you know… nothing special." the girl looked away from the camera. "I mean, work's work, nothing you can do about that. What about you? You hadn't answered last week or the week before."

"Oh you know… nothing special." he answered with a smirk, earning a pout. "Navigation and escort mostly. Just got back in fact. Speaking of which, I don't have a lot of time. Need to do some repairs on the _Falchion_."

"Be careful, you hear me? I asked around my work, and nobody has ever heard of using space-fighter in decades. Apparently, they're not as maneuverable as Ryders, so they become easy targets."

"Hey, It works. Besides, nobody expects something as small as the _Falchion_ to be carrying as much munitions as it does. Anyways, how's that friend of yours doing?"

Chigara looked a bit irked at the change of subject, but let it go "Oh, Asaga? She's doing alright. We just hang out after my shift. She seems interested in what you do though. Apparently she wants to go and fight as a hero of justice." she stuck a pose before giggling at the absurdity of it all. "Before you go and say it, don't worry. To her, you're just an unnamed Tydarian Freelancer who I just happen to know."

"Thanks Chi. You know I appreciate it." Kayto gave her a smile. "Well, I need to get going. I forgot to take care of some stuff. Better get to it before the hangars become part of an uncontrolled fusion reaction."

The engineer frowned. "Kayto, you know that if you ever need to, you can always stay here in Ryuvia. With me…" she seemed to be a bit hopeful that he would take up that offer. She always was. "I'm sure the landlady wouldn't mind. And you could work in the shop."

"You know I can't do that Chigara. Too much to get done out here. And I don't want to intrude."

"But I worry about you out there. Be safe, okay? I care about you."

Kayto gave her a thumbs up as he terminated the call. Tiredly, he shut off the terminal and made his way back to the hangars.

"I know Chigara. I know."

* * *

 **Tydaria Hangar Bay- Deck 13**

Despite each one being the size of a stadium, Tydaria's multitude of hangar bays were always filled with a cacophony of sound. Things were going on here. Ships being repaired, freelancers talking about the latest mission they were either going out to or just came back from, the occasional clatter or bang as a cheap piece of machinery catastrophically failed, engines starting up or shutting down as the constant flow of ships and material made their way in and out. Far above the main floor, Kayto Shields was underneath a rather small craft, working on his primary means of securing income, and the largest drain on said income, the _Falchion_. The thing didn't look like much. In fact, it looked like a salvaged piece of junk more than a combat capable craft. In reality, it wouldn't be that far from the truth. In all of its glory, the _Falchion_ amounted to little more than a Cockpit, two engines, a reactor and enough space for a single weapons battery. Fortunately, its current user was also accustomed to modifying anything and everything he could get his hands on. The reactor was custom made as an alternate payment when an employer had a surplus of hardware, but not enough credits to pay for the job. The engines were maneuvering thrusters from some derelict vessel that he had found one day while on patrol. Hell, the hull itself was salvaged from a Junker who was going to scrap it for parts. He couldn't just let a perfectly usable hull be junked like that. It had functioning life support. Most of the time. Hey, that's what the helmet was for. And the supplemental Oxygen Tanks. But then again, he downgraded it and used the extra space for a smaller reactor.

"And… there!" Kayto exclaimed as he finished replacing a panel. "It's ready." Several other mechanics nearby backed away slowly when they recognized what it was. Although the _Falchion_ was fast and maneuverable, that wasn't what made it the terror to pirates in the sector. After all, a Ryder could outmaneuver it in a dogfight. It wasn't all that armored either. What made it an absolute nightmare was the single weapon mounted. It required its own reactor to power, but it was worth it. If there was one thing that Shields knew, it was lasers. And this was one that pleased him greatly.

"Did he just…" one mechanic whispered to another

"I know Shields didn't care about comfort, but this is ridiculous. Now it _is_ just a gun with engines and a cockpit."

Kayto sighed as he looked at his craft. "I'll just have to invest in another hull. There goes most of my next paycheck." he admitted to no one in particular.

In front of him, was a large cylindrical device covered in light armor flanked by two equally large engines. Behind it was a small protrusion that revealed the location of the cockpit. The _Falchion_ was in fact, now armed with a single laser emitter. It wasn't for taking out enemy Ryders, oh no. Shields never shot at the rank and file. That was what the rest of the escort was for. He always aimed for the high-priority targets first, and this was meant to reflect that. This was one that was meant to be used by capital ships against other ships of the line.

Granted, it was nothing like the main gun on a battleship, or the Vanguard Cannons that Cera used, and it wouldn't do much against anything larger than a cruiser on its own. But for pirate frigates and the occasional light cruiser, it was almost overkill. Using it on Ryders on the other hand, was almost cruel. Like hitting puppies with a flaming hockey stick, it was just something that you didn't do.

"Shields, you've outdone yourself." Another freelancer said as he clapped him on the back. Kayto had staggered from the impact as the burly man laughed. "As if the pirates were scared enough with you getting into knife fighting range and strafing them with that heavy cannon, you decided it would be a good idea to snipe them from range! I almost feel sorry for the poor bastards. Now where do you plan on putting, you know, the pilot?"

"Still where it always was." he pointed to the small protrusion behind the ship's main gun. "I didn't get rid of everything. Even I have limits."

The freelancer walked up to the _Falchion_ and looked inside. "Apparently getting rid of things like an ejection seat, a pressurized cockpit, and fire suppression don't cross the line." he shook his head. "Only you."

"I've either never used them, or if I needed to use them, I'd be dead anyways." Kayto shooed the freelancer from the ship. "Now, what brings you here to this part of the hangar? Normally people would rather recruit a Ryder pilot."

"And you think that I want to recruit you for a job?"

"You didn't say you weren't going to."

The freelancer laughed once again before his face took on a more serious look. "The Mining Union wants an escort for some valuable material. The route goes right through the territory of several pirate groups. Combat is almost expected."

"And just like I asked earlier. Why me?"

"You ever hear of the group called The Cosmos?"

Kayto let our a low whistle "Yeah. One of those ' _Private Security Organizations'_." he said in air quotes. "Lots of frigates and a few cruisers, I heard that they also acquired some Ryders pretty recently. I'm starting to understand why you want me in this."

"That's not all. There's this rumor going around that one of their lieutenants has a real serious piece of hardware. Some type of heavy weapons Ryder."

"And you want me to deal with it?"

The Freelancer shook his head, "No. That one's _mine_ " He pointed to himself with his thumb. "My team will be engaging the other ryders, but with me being occupied, we don't have anyone with enough firepower to take on their ships. Hell, even _I'm_ not certain we can go up against a cruiser if we encounter one, but that's where you come in."

"Anything else that I should know?"

"We'll be entering an area contested by the local planetary governments and PACT."

Kayto straightened up. "I'm in"

That had the freelancer off guard. "What? I hadn't even brought up payment. You're not going to negotiate or anything?"

"Give me ten percent of the cut, and we'll call it good. Now when do we head out?"

"Tomorrow at 0630." With that, the freelancer extended his hand. "The name's Barnabas by the way. Figure that you'd like to know the name of the guy that hired you. Now hand me your datapad and I'll give you the coordinates of the rendezvous point."

"Sounds good to me."


End file.
